Fitzo told of Gazprom's promise to supply Slovakia with gas in another way

The Russian company Gazprom has promised to supply gas to Slovakia in a different way after Ukraine stopped transit. This was announced by the republic's Prime Minister Robert Fico on 10 January at a meeting of the republic's parliamentary committee for European affairs.

The head of the government said that the Slovak energy company SPP has filled gas reservoirs, but the country plans not to take fuel from them for as long as possible.

"At the same time, we will continue pumping gas into the storage facilities based on the agreement made with Gazprom," he said. "Gazprom has said that it will supply gas in a different way," Fitzo said, his words quoted by Slovak publication Nový Cas.

The Prime Minister emphasized that Russia has always been a reliable partner and has not let Slovakia down.

Transit number: Will gas supplies through Ukraine stop on January 1?

Preservation of exports will depend on the geopolitical situation and the persistence of European business, experts believe

The day before, on January 9, the European Commission (EC) said that together with Slovakia will create a working group to find a solution in the energy sector against the background of the fact that Ukraine has stopped the transit of Russian gas to Europe through its territory.

The next day, the EC clarified that Kiev's representatives would not participate in the activities of this group, but contacts with them at all levels would continue. The working group will start its meetings "as soon as possible, in the coming weeks."

On 9 January, Kremlin spokesman Dmitriy Peskov pointed out that the USA was the beneficiary of the termination of gas transit through Ukraine. At the same time, European countries are interested in receiving more competitive gas from Russia.

On the same day, a member of the Chamber of Deputies of Berlin, Gunnar Lindemann, told Izvestiya that the cessation of gas transportation from Russia through Ukraine to Western Europe would lead to a serious rise in the price of this fuel already this month. The rise in prices will hit, first of all, the poorest residents of the region. Such people may not be able to pay their expensive gas bills and will be left without heating in winter.

"Gazprom" announced the suspension of gas supplies through Ukraine on January 1.

In late August 2024, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose term of office expired in May of that year, said Ukraine would not renew its gas transit agreement with Russia, which expires at the end of 2024. Russian President Vladimir Putin later said that the country was not giving up gas transit through Ukrainian territory.